Taxonomy

Phylum:

Arthropoda

Subphylum:

Crustacea

Class:

Malacostraca

Subclass:

Eumalacostraca

Superorder:

Peracarida

Order:

Isopoda

Suborder:

Valvifera

Family:

Idoteidae

Genus:

Euidotea

Species:

stricta

General Description

Body about 6 times as long as wide, not especially flattened. Head 1.5 times as wide as long. Pleonite 1 not longer than others, suture lateral only; pleotelsonic formula 0 + 3; pleotelson elongate, 2.5 times as long as wide, widest posteriorly; dorsal coxal plate 7 rounded. Body up to 3.5 cm long.

Biology

Euidotea stricta, known as a sea centipede, is not at all related to terrestrial centipedes which have many more pairs of legs and never enter the sea. This species belongs to one of the few families of herbivorous isopods. They can camouflage themselves according to the colour of the marine algae in which they live.